Our Partners

Collaborative watershed management involves a vast network of partners – municipalities, stewardship groups, business and industry leaders, the provincial government, academics, and more. We all work together in support of healthy watersheds and thriving communities.

Municipal Governments

Municipalities are leaders and major land-use decision-makers in our watershed. The Red Deer River watershed is home to two cities (Red Deer and Brooks), 22 towns, 20 counties and specialized municipalities, 80 villages and hamlets, and 10 summer villages. 

Many of these governments support watershed initiatives by donating $0.50 for every resident within their part of the watershed to the RDRWA, proving there is power in numbers.  

We thank all of these municipalities for their financial and in-kind support, and for the essential role they play in watershed management. 

Business and Industry 

Business and industry leaders from across sectors play an important role in watershed management. Many of our industries and jobs – from farming and oil and gas, to forestry and the petrochemical industry – rely directly on water and watershed resources. The RDRWA is grateful to our industry and business partners who recognize the need for healthy watersheds, and who participate in watershed management and stewardship.

We thank these new sponsors for their support of watershed initiatives.

Provincial government

Alberta Environment and Parks is a key partner and funder of the RDRWA and other Watershed Planning and Advisory Councils (WPACs). The RDRWA works closely with provincial colleagues to advance the goals of the Government of Alberta’s Water for Life Strategy (2003), including 1) healthy, aquatic ecosystems, 2) safe, secure drinking water supplies, and 3) reliable, quality water supplies for a growing economy. 

Alberta Environment and Parks is a longtime supporter of the work of the RDRWA, and we are very grateful for the financial, in-kind, and technical support.

Watershed Stewardship Groups

Watershed stewardship groups bring landowners and a wide range of partners together to support the health of local watersheds. These groups are typically volunteer-based and are connected to a specific watershed, lake, or creek. Getting involved with a local watershed stewardship group is a great way to get involved in watershed initiatives. 

Non-Government Organizations and other Partners

The RDRWA works with many organizations that support our vision of a healthy, dynamic, and sustainable watershed. There are countless ways these organizations contribute to watershed initiatives, ranging from providing funding, to planting willow stakes in riparian areas, to educating watershed residents about watershed topics (and much more). 

We thank these organizations for the many ways they continue to make a difference.

Academic and Technical Groups

The RDRWA is a science-based organization and benefits from relationships with post-secondary institutions, professional associations, and consulting groups that contribute expertise. By collaborating on projects with these groups, the RDRWA aims to support excellent research and help train the next generation of water leaders. 

Watershed Planning & Advisory Councils

There are 11 Watershed Planning & Advisory Councils (WPACs) in Alberta that provide watershed leadership, expertise, and knowledge at a regional level. Working in alignment with the Government of Alberta’s Water for Life Strategy, WPACs bring multiple sectors together to lead on watershed planning, stewardship, education, and much more. 

As place-based organizations, every WPAC has an approach grounded in the local priorities and needs of their watershed and communities. WPACs work together regularly and also participate as part of the Alberta Water Council in support of Water for Life. 

First Nations

The Red Deer River watershed spans the ancestral and traditional territories of Indigenous peoples, including First Nations and Métis peoples. The watershed is part of both Treaty 6 and Treaty 7 territory. Watershed management must respect the constitutionally protected rights of First Nations and Métis peoples and should support initiatives led by Indigenous groups.